Teaching Problem-Solving and Creativity in College Courses. AAHE-ERIC/Higher Education Research Currents.

Whitman, Neal

Courses designed to teach problem-solving and creativity, which are relatively new additions to college curricula, are discussed, along with their intellectual foundations and research on these two processes. The teaching of these processes involves the following course goals: teaching a specific subject, generally useful skills, and professional skills. Problem-solving applications are considered first. A subject may be taught through use of a guided design approach, which involves following a series of steps that lead to a solution. Teaching generally useful skills focuses on a set of strategies and heuristics rather than on a series of specific steps to be followed. Programs attempt to help students become better thinkers. Teaching professional skills can be illustrated by a problem-based approach to medical education. Information, concepts, and skills learned by students are put into their memory in association with a problem. Creative learning and discovery experiences can be part of learning a subject. Usually, programs teaching creativity as a generally useful tool use heuristics (e.g., asking students to think like an inventor or encouraging them to reach a high level of abstract reasoning). Teaching specific skills for the development of creativity are found in both the sciences and the arts. (SW)